Nordlie organ anniversary

Bigelow & Co. Organ Builders, American Fork, Utah

Fortieth Anniversary

Opus 42

Saint John’s Episcopal Church, Fishers Island, New York

From the builder

Forty years—and forty-two organs— ago Bigelow & Co. was born. Looking back, it has been quite a ride. After training with master organbuilder John Brombaugh in Ohio, I set up shop in Utah, married the girl of my dreams, and went to work. Dr. David Rothe in Chico, California, showed incredible faith by signing our first contract. His organ featured “either-or” registration whereby a stop can be registered on either manual, thus lending flexibility with just a handful of stops. I liked the idea of giving broader appeal to the small, less expensive organ. In fact, we’ve built a number of “either-or” instruments since then, including our most recent work featured in this article.

I recall as a youth drooling over pictures of the great organs of Europe such as St. Bavokerk, Haarlem, and St. Johannis Kirche, Lüneburg, I never dreamed that I would visit them someday, sketch pad in hand, recording their beautiful cases not only on paper, but also in my mind and heart. Their visual excitement was equaled only by their magnificent sound. I was in heaven then, and I continue to be in heaven each time I get to design an organ case or experience a finished instrument. Opus 42 is no exception. It incorporates the church’s original 1929 organ case by Skinner Organ Company, which we upgraded to display new speaking pipes. We also replaced the original grillework in the two flats with new treble pipes and matching pipe shade carvings for heightened visual appeal.

My wife says it is time to retire, but I do not think she would like me hanging around the house so much. Besides, it is pipe organs that I love to build!

—Michael Bigelow

From the vice president and tonal director

I consider it a great blessing to have been employed at Bigelow & Co. during my entire organbuilding career—over thirty of the forty years of its existence. During that time I have learned much, and I still enjoy the challenge of designing mechanisms and sounds to fit different, sometimes difficult, situations. Our Opus 42 at St. John’s Church, Fishers Island, was not our first chamber installation, nor was it our first experience in building a mechanical-action instrument into existing casework. It was, however, our first experience with an instrument speaking into the chancel, and the low impost of the historic case presented significant mechanical challenges.  

Like most of our smaller instruments, Opus 42 uses our “either-or” registration system, whereby most stops can be registered on either one manual or the other. The availability of some re-usable pipes (16′ Bourdon, 8′ Principal bass, and Voix Celeste from Skinner, the bass octave of an earlier string, and the more recent wood 8′ Gedeckt) made for a somewhat richer disposition than would have been otherwise possible within our budget. In lieu of our more typical mutation stop,  the open metal 8′ Treble Flute was chosen, as it seemed to be more in keeping with late nineteenth-/early twentieth-century tradition. The sub-octave coupler was a special request—no other Bigelow organ has one—which, besides the more obvious advantages, makes it possible for an incredibly rich ensemble of six flue ranks to sound together at 8′ pitch!

I honestly cannot think of a happier installation experience than this one: wonderful people, a beautiful and relaxing environment, and a delightful instrument coming together in a lovely place. 

—David Chamberlin

From the organist

I first stepped off the Fishers Island Ferry in June of 2014. After several conversations with colleagues who had served the church in the preceding years, I knew St. John’s to be a summer community that values worship and the role the church plays in the unique pattern of island living. At the time of my hiring, the vestry communicated their hope that I might help them discern the best path forward for their organ, which had become as much a financial liability as a musical one. Having spent considerably on the instrument just a few years earlier, they were rightly cautious about continuing to sink resources into stopgap measures. Several conversations were held in regards to the respective merits of rebuilding the old organ or replacing it with a new pipe or digital instrument. To their great credit, the members of the vestry did considerable diligence in researching each option, and after a short period of prayer and discernment, the decision was made to commission a new pipe organ for the church. 

In an effort to instill confidence in the project and to avoid saddling future organists with my own musical preferences, I encouraged the church to engage Jonathan Ambrosino as an independent consultant. Jonathan shepherded us through the process of soliciting and reviewing proposals, helped to communicate effectively with the congregation, and ultimately served as a liaison between the church and builder throughout the processes of design, construction, and installation. After reviewing compelling proposals from four builders, the unanimous decision was reached to engage Bigelow & Co. to build the new instrument. It was immediately evident to all that the proposal written by Mike Bigelow and David Chamberlin not only respected the understated beauty of the setting, but also addressed several of the challenges particular to an island organ that only sees full service for about sixteen weeks of the year. Their mastery of the “either-or” registration system resulted in an instrument that is uncharacteristically versatile for its size, while the added sub-octave coupler contributes an undeserved range of color and depth. 

Now having completed its first summer of service, it is clear that this instrument will be a lasting source of pride for the Fishers Island community and a testament to the artistry and craftsmanship of Bigelow & Co. A happier result surely could not have been possible.  

—Brent Erstad

From the consultant

Over the past fifteen years, I have been variously involved with the chapel organ at Saint Paul’s School in Concord, New Hampshire. Working there made me aware of Saint John’s Episcopal Church on Fishers Island, in Long Island Sound, a parish with a long connection to the school. A number of alumni are church members, and the current rector and many organists have served both institutions (the school term dovetails neatly with the summer service schedule). Colin Lynch and Brent Erstad are two Saint Paul’s chapel organists who also served at Fishers; Andrew Sheranian and Michael Smith have also served. While none of them ever raved about the organ, they all spoke warmly of the place and its people.

In July 2015, Saint John’s got in touch about how to proceed with the instrument. It had begun life in 1929 as a humble eight-rank Skinner, with much of the Swell duplexed to the Great, a lone Pedal Bourdon, and no reed. Its alcove location was about as enchambered as could be imagined. In the 1980s and later, Alan McNeely revised the instrument into a full-bore two-manual of 22 ranks, with additional Pedal, Antiphonal, and eventually a few memorial digital voices. But the organ’s environment spelled its doom. The blower and some mechanism lived in a basement rife with dampness; salt and moisture played havoc with key contacts; the disused 1929 Spencer blower stood in a corner, a pile of rust and humiliation. In its final years, Ed Odell and Scot Huntington serviced the instrument.

While a part of New York State, Fishers is reached by ferry from New London, Connecticut. My maiden visit, however, was by air. Patrick Aiken (organist-choirmaster of Central Congregational Church in Providence) kindly flew me down in his Cessna 172, and it made for a storybook introduction to the place: perfect weather, majestic island vista, corkscrew descent, a trim touchdown at Elizabeth Field. The senior warden’s smiling aunt met me in what Connecticut people call a “station car”—an old beater to take back and forth to the train. Saint John’s Church itself is a microcosm of the island: not fancy or ostentatious, a few dignified appointments of restrained beauty and appropriate scale, people of obvious class with nothing to prove. The grandeur of the island, the smart folk, the effort required to get there, a station car: here was a particular slice of vanishing old New England.

Later that morning, through a sea of intermittent notes and other issues, I heard Brent Erstad accompany two morning services. While twenty-two ranks is hardly large, still, this is a village church. The organ’s size had grown out of phase with the place, not merely the building but the congregation’s very sense of itself. These people clearly enjoyed singing hymns together. They needed only a solid and straightforward organ to lead them. A new tracker, flexible but in proper scale, seemed the thing. Once the vestry understood that a long-term solution did not need to be dauntingly expensive, four mechanical-action builders were invited to propose.

The church took this assignment seriously. Rather than dangle a prospect and see who would jump highest, the church gave each builder a stipend to cover at least some of the travel to Fishers and the warmest of welcomes. In place of a stern Request-For-Proposal, the church provided a statement of goals, outlining the vestry’s hope that each builder might be inspired to propose something as individual as the place itself. Ultimately, Bigelow & Co. was chosen, partly from their track record with appealing and flexible smaller organs, partly for a genuine enthusiasm to work with the original simple case-front.

In 2017, a Boston team of Joe Sloane, Amory Atkins, and Dean Conry took away the old organ, salvaging a few unaltered Skinner ranks. This set the stage for the church’s conscientious caretaker, Andrew “Ace” Ahrens, to prepare for the new instrument. The chamber was rehabilitated and shortened, and the rear portion sectioned off into a new blower room. Keeping the entire instrument out of the basement sealed it from the worst effects of dampness. In the church itself, floors were refinished, and a bit of new carpeting replaced a great deal of old. The organ arrived in April 2018 and was brought into use in May, the builders being beautifully seen to by Ace and other vestry members. Brent Erstad gave an opening concert on July 7, assisted by tenor Andrew Brown. He and Dan Moriarty have been playing this summer.

It is wonderful to work with a church that suffers no confusion of aims. Not even six months from the first email, Saint John’s had contracted with
Bigelow. Having decided what was right, they dove in headfirst, kept sharp at every turn, and celebrated in style. It is always a delight to work with such fine people and good builders. The best part comes in knowing that the people of Saint John’s now have a tasteful organ as timeless as their parish, their building, and their faith.

—Jonathan Ambrosino

From the rector

Over three years ago, when Saint John’s Church on Fishers Island was facing the challenge of replacing the failing ninety-year-old Skinner organ, installing another pipe organ was not the preferable option. In fact, the challenges of maintaining the current instrument, the weather fluctuations on the island, and the limited use of an organ in this seasonal summer chapel were all compelling reasons to go the digital organ route. However, St. John’s was also gifted with a plethora of accomplished organists who had visited the church over the summers, connected with our vestry and congregation, and encouraged us to consider another opportunity to install a new pipe organ in the church. 

We are a congregation that loves to sing, and we value an instrument that not only provides the backdrop to our voices, but also can join with us as a living presence in the worship space. Brent Erstad and Jonathan Ambrosino walked with us down the road towards another pipe organ and encouraged the welcoming of a new instrument. When we met Michael Bigelow and read his carefully prepared proposal, we knew that he was the one who would not only create a wonderful and appropriate instrument for the church, but also would do so in a way that honored our history and supported our future with a beautiful instrument. 

Over two years later, we were pleased this summer to share the voices of the W. Richard Bingham Memorial Organ, Bigelow Opus 42, in an inaugural concert played by Brent Erstad. The congregation is very appreciative of the new instrument and we have launched an organ concert series this summer that we hope to continue in the future, featuring not only organ recitals, but also silent films with organ accompaniment, spirited hymn sings, and a three-day choir camp on the island for students from a local independent school. We look forward to continuing these offerings as an outreach not only to our church community, but also to the community of Fishers Island and beyond. 

Saint John’s is immensely grateful to all those who contributed to this project: the many donors whose support made this a reality, especially the family of W. Richard Bingham after whom this instrument is named, the counsel and expertise of Jonathan Ambrosino and Brent Erstad who shepherded us through the process, the artistry and skill of Michael Bigelow and his team at Bigelow & Co., and the support of the vestry and members of St. John’s Church. We look forward to many years of enjoyment as this new organ adds its voice to ours in celebrating all of the moments of our spiritual journey for generations to come.

—The Reverend Michael Spencer

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Berghaus Pipe Organ Builders,
Bellwood, Illinois, was established as Berghaus Organ
Company in 1967 in Melrose Park, Illinois.  

Cover photos, top: La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, Scottsdale, Arizona (2008); middle: O’Fallon United Church of Christ, O’Fallon, Illinois (1973); Sacred Heart School of Theology, Hales Corners, Wisconsin (1990); First United Methodist Church, South Bend, Indiana (1988); bottom: St. Benedict’s Parish, Chesapeake, Virginia (2015).

From the Founder

A native of Cleveland, Ohio, I was encouraged to leave home to seek my education at Concordia Teachers College (now Concordia University Chicago) in River Forest, Illinois. After graduation, I married and worked for several years as a parochial school teacher and church organist/choir director. My unexpected decision to enter the organ-building trade was chiefly influenced by two instruments and two men.

Before I left Ohio, Trinity Lutheran Church in Cleveland began installing a four-manual and pedal mechanical-action organ from the Beckerath company of Hamburg, Germany, which was completed in 1956. The church was near my house, and my curiosity, for some unknown reason, led me to make frequent visits during its installation and voicing. I had no earthly idea that this organ would lay the groundwork for my organbuilding philosophy! 

While still enrolled at Concordia, my informal apprenticeship for organbuilding began as I started to repair the slider chests on an 1888 Jackson Organ Company (Chester, Illinois) tracker at St. Matthew Lutheran Church on the south side of Chicago. Slowly, the organ came back to life as I repaired badly damaged pipes, broken trackers, and cracked rollerboards. We found a second-hand pedalboard to replace the original and installed key extensions to accept mechanical connections to the pedal chests and couplers. By repairing an ancient blower and wind system, a somewhat compromised new life to the organ was born. By 1961 the organ was again used for services. Subsequently, the congregation authorized Berghaus Organ Company to extensively rebuild the organ with new slider chests, pipework, action, and wind system. Since 1972 the organ remains as rebuilt.

Why devote time to these two churches and their organs? These were my mind and eye openers! I had a gnawing curiosity to tear into the old Jackson organ, find out what went wrong, and fix it! In the Beckerath, I had a “new” organ for comparison.

Sometime in 1967 while a fifth and sixth grade teacher, I was approached by John F. Shawhan, the Midwest service and sales representative of Casavant Frères of Canada, to take over a dozen or so contracts to provide semiannual service and maintenance for new Casavants located from Des Moines to Fort Wayne. I still had no plans on becoming an organbuilder, but November 1967 was my final month as a teacher. John paired me up with his assistant, Paul Jochum, who spent time in the Beckerath shop as a general apprentice. When I first met Paul, I assumed that I would be the tuner and he would be the key holder. But that is not how he had it planned! He insisted that he tune and I sit at the console. And that was the arrangement for all the years we worked together. His disciplined tuning was impeccable and went so far as to check the tuning of higher-pitched mixtures by listening through the entire stop without the tuning stop on! 

As the service and tuning business grew, the opportunity came along to build an instrument. The O’Fallon United Church of Christ in southern Illinois was planning an extensive renovation of its church. The original Kilgen tracker was entombed behind the altar and was in serious need of repair. Casavant turned down the project and asked Berghaus to consider it. I, too, turned down the opportunity to renovate the old Kilgen.

They asked, “Who do you recommend to do the renovation?” I said that I would build a new mechanical-action organ for them instead. What did I have to show? Nothing! But they chose Berghaus despite our lack of experience. The contract was signed and construction took place in a 24′ by 27′ garage with an extremely limited number of tools and space. Today, this organ stands as built in 1973. A few years ago, we thoroughly cleaned it and set it back on course for another 40-plus years of faithful service.

After O’Fallon, four contracts were negotiated in fairly rapid succession for 2-manual and pedal mechanical-action organs. As these were being built, a noticeable change in design requests followed: namely, to retain the mechanical key action, but to abandon the mechanical stop action and utilize a more user-friendly stop control system. This was an acceptable alternative to me, as it did not affect the key action or the windchest design. I was firmly convinced that slider windchests were the best chests in the world! The most striking change came with the detached, moveable console, requiring the separation of the direct key action from the windchests, which we accommodated by installing electric pull-down magnets outside the pallet box. 

Our stay in a house basement and two-car garage lasted a very short time. By 1973 we moved to Bellwood into a facility of approximately 4,000 square feet and a ceiling height of only 13 feet. A number of organs exceeding that height were built in this low-ceiling room. In 1984, a two-story erecting room and design and fabrication spaces were added to facilitate construction of larger instruments.  

Time passed so fast that it became unnoticeable. My wife, Judy, worked many years as the office manager. Both of our sons, Todd and Brian, served us well in service projects, organ construction, and installations. It would be Brian whom I would entrust with continuing my work by taking the leadership of the company into the second generation. Along the way, he would build a team around him.

­—Leonard G. Berghaus

From the Tonal Director

When I joined Berghaus in 2006, the company was in a period of transition. While the hallmarks of slider chests, open-toe voicing, and Werkprinzip were still present in many instruments, a few others were examples of a more eclectic approach to tonal design. The 2003 four-manual instrument created for St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, combined new resources with many ranks from the Aeolian-Skinner organ built in the 1950s. The result was decidedly more American Classic in sound, and it has enjoyed great success in live performance as well as several recordings. Subsequent years saw the installation of more eclectic organs at St. John’s Lutheran Church, Bloomington, Illinois (3 manuals, 46 ranks), and Queen of All Saints Basilica, Chicago, Illinois (3 manuals, 60 ranks).  

My own background in pipe organs began at the age of 13, when I first took organ lessons and began playing church services some months later. I had always been fascinated with the pipe organ; I used to spend many hours listening to recordings of instruments from all over the world, conjuring up stoplists, and occasionally attempting to design casework and façades. Little did I know then that this would ultimately become my career! I completed organ studies at Valparaiso University and The Juilliard School; these institutions educated me with a solid foundation of organ performance in both concert and church settings. My many opportunities to perform around the country allowed me first-hand experience with the great wealth of pipe organs in this nation, and I began to formulate my thoughts of what my own personal tonal signature would be. 

In 2007, the Berghaus-built organ for St. John’s Episcopal Church, Chevy Chase, Maryland, would be my first opportunity to make my mark. With a stoplist that leans more into the French Romantic realm (complete with a sumptuous Cavaillé-Coll-style drawknob console), this instrument of 3 manuals and 63 ranks began a new era for our company. The organ, both in its stoplist and tonal approach, is a synthesis of classical and romantic styles. As a result, it emphasizes a clear and singing sound in the individual stops, while at the same time providing warmth and depth when stops are used in combination. Each division contains a complete principal chorus, characteristic flute stops, and reeds both fiery and more subdued. Decidedly different from previous instruments is the treatment of string and reed tone. The Grand-Orgue and Récit contain Salicionals with more harmonic prominence, which aid in carrying accompaniment lines found in homophonic music. While our past instruments accentuated the build-up of the Tutti through upperwork and mixtures, this organ places reed tone in the several Trompette and Bombarde ranks at the fore, paying homage to the symphonic style.

These principles were also carried out in the instruments of 2007–08: St. Jerome Catholic Church in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin (3 manuals, 53 ranks), built in collaboration with Scott R. Riedel & Associates as the organ consultant/acoustician, and First Lutheran Church, Manitowoc, Wisconsin (3 manuals, 41 ranks). 

2008 brought an extraordinary opportunity to construct our magnum opus for La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church in Scottsdale, Arizona. Taking cues from the American Classic and Romantic traditions, our tonal approach was to design an eclectic instrument that would handle a wide range of repertoire, capable of a vast amount of both dynamic and tonal expression. To that end, there are no less than five manual 8′ Principals, ten different 8′ and 4′ flutes, and strings and hybrid (tapered) stops, which are of varying tone and construction. The versatility of this instrument is the result of our ability to finish every stop as its own beautifully unique voice and also as a worthy contributor in combination.

Given the challenge of designing a 92-rank organ with only one division under expression, it became clear from the beginning that great care would need to be taken in the tonal finishing process to ensure the success of a seamless crescendo and equally balanced manual divisions. The ranks of the Positiv division are designed and voiced so as to provide a remarkable degree of expressiveness for an unenclosed division. The overall effect in the crescendo is that of a continuous transition from ppp to fff without any staggering dynamic or color steps.

In recent years, because of economic challenges, many churches have elected not to build entirely new instruments, but to retain as much as they could from their current organ or investigate viable options of transplanting a vintage instrument. One of our unique endeavors was creating an instrument for First Presbyterian Church, Johnson City, Tennessee, by combining resources from two organs in need of a new home: a 1930 Casavant from Our Lady of Grace, Chicago, and the Berghaus from Christ Lutheran Church, Cleveland, Ohio. On paper, these two disparate tonal concepts would not necessarily work well by merely placing stops together. To achieve good blend within and among the divisions, and to provide appropriate combinations for musical performance, we decided to keep the Great and Swell divisions of the Berghaus together, but reassign them and enhance the 8′ tone to be adequately scaled for the new space. The new Great and Pedal divisions would combine new pipework and vintage stops that were fully restored or changed to blend with the overall tonal concept. We have also successfully installed instruments of this type with the help of consultant Wayne Wagner at Zion Lutheran Church, Columbus, Wisconsin (2 manuals, 24 ranks) and in partnership with Edward Meyer at Luther Preparatory School, Watertown, Wisconsin (2 manuals, 35 ranks). 

2014 brought us an opportunity to work with organist and historical author Peggy Kelley Reinburg, who acted as consultant for St. Benedict’s Parish, Chesapeake, Virginia. Her insight into pipe organs and tonal design proved to be an invaluable resource. Together with her, we collaborated to present an instrument with a heart of simplicity and clarity, rooted in North German tradition but also possessing a distinctive voice. This instrument brings our company full circle to its early beginnings—confident in the creation of instruments in a classic style, while tailoring tonal schemes that serve the specific needs of our many different clients.

As Berghaus celebrates 50 years, we can applaud the first instruments of our founder, Leonard Berghaus, and his many successful contributions to organbuilding. Each instrument that has been produced since I started in 2006 is unique in its own right, and I am truly proud of them all. I look forward to what the next years will bring, both in challenges and opportunities.

—Jonathan Oblander

From the President

My apprenticeship at Berghaus began at a very young age. I have fond memories of being pulled out of class at Grace Lutheran School to help assist with organ repairs, or so they thought! Little did I know that this would set the stage for my life’s work. My high school summers were spent working for Berghaus in a variety of roles, and in 1988 I began my full-time position. My training and work experience was primarily in casework, structure, winding, and windchest construction. As time went on, I gradually moved into project management for several years before being appointed vice president in 1999. In 2004, I was named president of the firm.

During the mid-1990s, I began to look to the future of the company and realized that to grow and remain viable, we would have to employ a new business model of separating the new organs from the service side and executing multiple projects at once. A larger facility would be needed to accommodate the change. In 1999, after several years of exploring various options, including construction of a new facility, we located a building. Although it had been vacant for a number of years, the advantages far outweighed the drawbacks. Its location less than a mile from our previous facility meant that the remodeling process and relocation would have a minimum impact on our production schedule and the more than 200 clients for whom the company provided service and maintenance.  

The move in 2001 from a 6,700-square-foot building to a 30,000-square-foot plant afforded Berghaus the opportunity to design a more streamlined approach to our processes. A new set-up room with a ceiling height of 38 feet was constructed to accommodate larger instruments. The remodeled service area allowed for a clean and spacious environment to accomplish all aspects of organ service and maintenance. One of the depressed loading docks was filled in to create additional 26′ by 52′ space for managing multiple projects simultaneously. Four separate voicing rooms were created to allow our artisans to excel in their craft. A conference room and spacious office area completed the updated state-of-the-art facility. The building underwent other significant structural updates and improvements, including a new fire/burglar alarm system and surveillance for safety and the protection of our clients’ property.  

In addition, the new facility allowed us to install more efficient and larger equipment to the plant floor. A new spray booth, dust collection system, 54-inch-wide belt sander, and multiple TigerStops^TM significantly updated our production process. With four new vacuum press tables, we were able to press up to eight slider chests in one day, something that would have taken us four days to accomplish in the past. Recent additions to our technology include a 3-D printer and planning for the installation of a large CNC machine. 

With my father nearing retirement, there was no doubt in my mind that a different business model would be needed to propel the company forward and continue our commitment to excellence. His were big shoes to fill. It is sobering and gratifying when I think of the many former Berghaus employees who were mentored by my father and have prominent positions throughout the industry. Preserving his legacy and continuing his life’s work was a daunting task. To accomplish this, I created a new team approach made up of a variety of artisans with the same dedication to the art of organbuilding that my father instilled in me. The new methodology produced a positive, collaborative working environment and a superior instrument, resulting in a secure future for all.

Berghaus has a history of successfully building both mechanical action and electric slider chest instruments and has continually made improvements to its approach. At the turn of the century, the advances started accelerating as the new Berghaus team began incorporating wooden windlines, 1.75-inch tongue and groove solid hardwood enclosures, European racking, and fastidious wire management into the construction techniques. Today, three-dimensional modeling and design create a realistic representation for new instrument presentation drawings and aid in the efficiency of in-shop construction. The case and console designs are an organic part of the rooms in which they reside. Our tonal finishing is, quite simply, second to none. Along with the aforementioned construction changes, we have an overhauled marketing approach with a new corporate image, website, and brochure.

What did not change was our commitment to maintaining high standards for every task our clients hire us to do, from tuning and service to building new instruments. We take great pride in tuning throughout the Midwest and beyond. From emergency service seven days a week to releathering reservoirs or cleaning instruments, our service business is paramount to our success and we appreciate the trust our clients have in us.

Our company is still devoted to the time-honored tradition of slider chests, low to moderate wind pressures, and pure and natural voicing practices. Our later instruments retain these hallmarks while presenting new colors and possibilities for performance of many schools of organ composition. Celebrating our 50th anniversary gives me the opportunity to reflect on the past and contemplate the honor of leading Berghaus into the future. The tremendous pride and respect I have for my staff and their accomplishments cannot be expressed in words. 

—Brian D. Berghaus

Please mark your calendars to celebrate the Berghaus 50th Anniversary with a recital at Grace Lutheran Church, River Forest, Illinois, November 12, 4:00 p.m. A reception will follow in the fellowship hall.

Notes on pipe organs in Canada's youngest province of the Confederation, Newfoundland and Labrador

Lester Goulding was born in Grand Falls, Newfoundland. He has been an independent businessman, a music specialist (wind band) in the provincial school system, and a sessional instrumental instructor at the Department of Music at Memorial University of Newfoundland. A Licentiate and Fellow of Trinity College of Music, London, England, Goulding apprenticed and worked at Casavant Frères, St. Hyacinthe, Quebec in 1954 and 1955. In 1956 he was appointed by the builder to be their sales and service representative in Newfoundland and Labrador. With few exceptions, he has serviced all of the organs in this province. He lives in St. John’s, Newfoundland with his wife Elsie. He has four children and nine grandchildren.

William (Bill) Vineer is an Ottawa Valley boy from Renfrew who got “hooked on the pipe organ” at age five when he attended Renfrew Presbyterian Church with his family. While he has had a lifelong love for the pipe organ, his focus since 1967 has been on the Vineer Organ Library & Archives, now celebrating its 46th anniversary; the library and archives are located in Vineer’s west-end Ottawa home. Its website: www.vineerorganlibrary.com. Moving to Ottawa in 1965, Vineer began a 30-year career with the Department of Retro Virology in the Department of Agriculture’s Animal Disease Research Institute, during which time he contributed to over 150 published scientific papers, and two patents. In addition to his research work, he taught for 26 years in the Department of Hospitality at Algonquin College.

Contact the authors at the Vineer Organ Library & Archives by telephone at 613/224-1553 or by e-mail at 

[email protected].

For those of us in Canada who have a passionate love for the pipe organ and its history, there is no need to look further than our own backyard: a gold mine of glorious history is sitting right here in the youngest province of the Confederation, Newfoundland and Labrador, which became Canada’s tenth province in 1949. Prior to joining Canada, Newfoundland and Labrador was a Crown colony and in fact the oldest colony of the British Empire in North America. Thus, as we uncover the history of pipe organs past and present, it is not surprising to find in this eastern province a loyalty to the old country, Britain. A profound respect and affection for British standards of quality can be readily observed and it was quite common for the principal churches in the colony to turn to Britain rather than to America for their organs.

Pre-Confederation (1853–1949)

The earliest pipe organ found in our research that could be factually dated was constructed in 1853 by the British builder Thomas J. Robson for St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Cathedral, in St. John’s. Taking this date as a starting point, we have a period of 96 years, ending when Newfoundland and Labrador joined the Canadian Confederation in 1949. During this period, a total of 52 pipe organs were installed in the British colony: 36 were of British make, eleven were from Canada, and two from the United States of America. We did not find any information regarding the origin and manufacturer of the other three instruments. The date of installation could not be determined for eight of the 52 organs.

1949–present

After Newfoundland and Labrador joined the Canadian Confederation in 1949 and up to the present day, a total of eighteen organs were installed in the province, all manufactured in Canada and all still currently in use. The instrument built by Létourneau Organs as well as sixteen of the instruments built by Casavant Frères remain in the province, their conditions ranging from good to excellent. Another of the organs built by Casavant Frères and originally installed in Newfoundland is now located in Ontario and is in excellent condition.

Pipe organs of Labrador

We believe that there were at least five pipe organs installed in Labrador, the mainland part of the province. Four of these were smaller instruments and were installed in communities along the coastal shore, the first having arrived in 1824. The only organ among these four still in existence today is located in the Moravian Church, Hopedale: a one-manual with four stops, built in Saxony, Germany. We continue to search for information on the other three pipe organs we believe were located along the coastal shore of Labrador. It is highly likely that these too came from Saxony, Germany.

The fifth pipe organ located in Labrador is a Casavant, a unit organ of one manual, nine stops, three ranks. It was relocated in 1981 to Our Lady of Perpetual Help Roman Catholic Basilica, Labrador City. The organ is in good condition, is played on a regular basis, and is actively maintained.

Inventory of Newfoundland
and Labrador pipe organs

The table below, a chronological listing of the instruments of the past and present installed in Newfoundland and Labrador, is current as of January 2013. Each instrument is identified by opus number, year of installation, city or town, location, builder, number of manuals, stops, and ranks, type of action, and present condition. Abbreviations were used to describe the action of the instruments: “M” Mechanical (Tracker), “P” Pneumatic, “MP” Mechanical-Pneumatic, “EP” Electro-Pneumatic, “DE” Direct Electric (all unit organs), and “ES” Electric Slider. In the Opus and Year columns, “N/A” indicates data was not available at the time of publication. 

We would greatly appreciate being made aware of any errors or omissions and would welcome readers’ corrections and comments. Any information that can be added to these files or data to help fill in the table would certainly be welcomed. All information on the organs of Newfoundland and Labrador has been submitted from the files of Lester Goulding.

Some historical facts of interest

The 1853 Thomas J. Robson organ, installed in St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Basilica, St. John’s, had three manuals and 46 stops: 16 on the Great, 11 on the Choir, 13 on the Swell, and six for the pedals, plus four couplers;¹ “[…] it was handsomely equipped with mixtures on all three manuals, and fell short of the full present-day gospel by failing to have a 4ft. choral bass on the pedals.”² We have found no trace of this pipe organ. 

Today, St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Basilica houses two Casavant organs, both installed in 1955. Opus 2269 is a four-manual, 51-stop instrument located in the gallery, and opus 2270 a two-manual, 15-stop instrument located in the chancel.

A very rare and historic instrument is to be found in the Masonic Temple, St. John’s. Built in 1883 (opus number unknown) by August Gern, who previously worked as a foreman in the late 19th century for the renowned French organbuilder Cavaillé-Coll, the instrument is fitted with two manuals, 10 stops, and mechanical/pneumatic action. It has glass-paneled doors, all part of the console, which are set into the beautiful case. This pipe organ was originally built for the home of John B. Ayre (1850–1915), a merchant, political figure, organist, and director of the music section of the now defunct Ayre and Sons department store.

The importance of this instrument is that it is the only Gern pipe organ in Canada and in fact the only one in North America. Our understanding is that only a very few August Gern pipe organs remain intact in England where the builder lived. Unfortunately this pipe organ is in poor condition and in need of a total restoration. We firmly believe that this pipe organ should be restored to the full working condition of its glory days and sit in its rightful place as part of the glorious history of Newfoundland and Labrador.

The Bevington & Sons organ of 1884, a one-manual, nine-stop instrument with mechanical action, was built for Alexander Street Methodist Church. It was moved in 1911 to Trinity United Church, Winterton. This instrument is in good condition today.

The British organ builders, Forster & Andrews (1843–1956), of Hull, England, built a total of eight instruments that were exported to Newfoundland. Seven of these were smaller instruments of similar design (one manual, six stops), the other one being a larger organ of three manuals, 38 stops. The last of the smaller instruments was built in 1928 for Botwood United Church, Botwood. In 1990, the organ was relocated to the Corpus Christi Roman Catholic Church, St. John’s. The organ is in poor condition and is in need of a total restoration. It should be pointed out that Forster & Andrews were exporting their instruments to Newfoundland while it was still a British colony and did not export any of their instruments to Canada.³

Casavant opus 2586, built in 1960 for All Saints’ Anglican Church, Foxtrap, is a two-manual, 20-stop, three-rank direct electric action instrument. It was moved in 1999 to St. Leonard’s Roman Catholic Church in Manotick, Ontario. This pipe organ is in excellent condition.⁴

The only two pipe organs that we know to have been imported from the United States are Estey opus 1701 (1919), located in Central United Church, Bay Roberts (two manuals, seven stops) and Möller opus 7751 (1948), located in St. Anthony United Church, St. Anthony (two manuals, 17 stops, three ranks). Both are still in good playing condition.

Of the eleven pipe organs built in Canada and exported before 1949, nine were by Casavant, one by Woodstock, and one by Lye. Of these instruments, eight are still playable and rate from good to excellent, two were destroyed, and one lost its console (destroyed), although the case remains in the church.

Of the three instruments installed by unknown builders, one has been destroyed and two are still in use, one rated poor and one good.

Casavant opus 1386, located in Gower Street United Church, St. John’s, was installed in 1930: three manuals, 29 stops. This instrument was rebuilt and enlarged in 2007 to 36 stops.

It is amazing that, even after 160 years (1853–2013), fourteen of the 36 instruments manufactured in England remain in playable condition, their status ranging from poor to good, and that the two that are silent remain intact in their original location. We would very much like to see all of these remaining instruments that came from Britain and are still in playable condition be classified as heritage instruments, and rebuilt to their original condition before this very important part of Canadian history is lost forever.

Gower Street United Church,
St. John’s, Newfoundland

In the photograph, we see the Peter Conacher organ built in 1896 for Gower Street United Church, St. John’s, Newfoundland. In 1930, the organ was moved to the Memorial United Church, Grand Falls, Newfoundland. This photo was taken in 1953, prior to the organ being dismantled. The casework shown here now houses Casavant opus 2182. The towers and rosettes are hand-carved. Beautiful!

Historical note

The United Church of Canada came into existence in 1925, bringing together the Congregational, Methodist, and some of the Presbyterian churches of Canada.

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to express their most sincere thanks and appreciation to the following: Carl Goulding, who spent countless hours correcting the chronological listing for this article; Kathy Roberts, who spent hours making changes and corrections in order for this article to be published; Paul Cheatley, who designed the database used in this article and provided helpful input to this article. 

Notes

1. E. J. Hopkins and E. F. Rimbault, The Organ: Its History and Construction (London: Robert Cocks & Co., 1877), pp. 453–454.

2. C. I. G. Stobie, “The Organ in St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, St. John’s, Newfoundland,” The Organ, 52, 1972, p. 58.

3. Laurence Elvin, Forster and Andrews: Organ Builders, 1843–1956 (Lincoln: Laurence Elvin, 1968), p. 77.

4. “Pipe Organ Database,” Organ Historical Society, 15 February 2013, database.organsociety.org.